The explosion site was supposedly an arms cache An explosion shook a Hezbollah stronghold near Siddiqin in the southern coastal city of Tyre overnight Wednesday. The source said the cause of the blast, which was heard shortly before midnight, could not be determined due to the heavy security blanket by Hezbollah.
Lebanese security forces were unable to access the scene of the explosion after the resistance group set up a security perimeter around the blast site, which is located in a valley called Wadi Al-Jabal al-Kabir between Siddiqin and Deir Ames, the source added.
Local media said the explosion likely took place at a Hezbollah arms cache.
"There are no comments so far," Hezbollah’s office said when contacted by Lebanon's The Daily Star newspaper.
As four Israeli warplanes flew over Siddiqin at around 10.00 a.m., patrols by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon were active in the area, where village life has returned to normal. A UNIFIL helicopter could also be seen flying over the village.
A spokesman for the U.N. peacekeeping force said UNIFIL had heard about the explosion on the news.
"We have no information at the moment. We are checking this report," Andrea Tenenti told TheDaily Star by telephone.
About a year ago a number of explosions shook Hezbollah weapons caches in Lebanon. The blasts were believed to be the result of faulty maintenance.
A week ago two explosions hit an alcohol shop and a hotel in Tyre before dawn, causing damage but no injuries.
The explosion at the Queen Elissa hotel shattered glass and hurled debris into the street, damaging cars including two belonging to the United Nations UNIFIL force deployed to keep peace near the frontier with Israel.
An army source said the shop and hotel appeared to have been chosen because they sold alcohol, not because of any link to the peacekeeping force.
Alcohol is forbidden by Islam but legal in Lebanon which has a large Christian community. Shops selling it have come under attack in the past by militants.